Lions host Bucs on Monday night, hoping to extend league’s longest streak without consecutive losses

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Lions have bounced back from losses better than any NFL team for nearly three years.

Detroit has not dropped consecutive games in the regular season since coach Dan Campbell’s second season got off to a shaky start, falling to 1-6 on Oct. 30, 2022.

The Lions’ 50-game stretch without back-to-back setbacks is the longest in the league since Green Bay went 53 games without consecutive losses from late in the 2018 season through the 2022 season, according to Sportradar, and the next-longest active run is 18 games by the Los Angeles Rams.

“They’re a resilient group,” Campbell said. “They know how to overcome adversity. They don’t like losing and they go back to work to fix the things that need to be fixed.”

If Detroit (4-2) does not address problems it had on both sides of the ball in last week’s loss to Kansas City, its remarkable run may end against the NFC-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-1) on Monday night at home.

“We’ve got our hands full,” Campbell said.

After the Buccaneers became the first team in NFL history with four wins by three or fewer points in the first five games of season, they beat San Francisco 30-19 last week.

Short-handed

Detroit’s banged-up secondary took another hit when the NFL suspended safety Brian Branch for punching Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster on Sunday night and setting off a postgame melee.

The Lions have five players in their secondary on injured reserve and they held defensive backs Kerby Joseph, Terrion Arnold and Avonte Maddox out of practice with injuries on Thursday.

Tampa Bay is expecting to be without three of its top receivers, but the position group may get a boost with the return of six-time Pro Bowl receiver Mike Evans. He was limited in practice on Thursday after missing three games with a hamstring injury.

They’re No. 1

Both quarterbacks, Detroit’s Jared Goff and Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield, were drafted No. 1 overall by another team that traded them.

“Can recognize that there’s some dark days in that transition and coming out the other side of it for both of us,” Goff said.

The Los Angeles Rams kicked off the 2016 draft by taking Goff and after five seasons, including one that ended at the Super Bowl, they dealt him in a blockbuster deal for Matthew Stafford.

Cleveland selected Mayfield first overall in 2018 and traded him four years later to Carolina. The Panthers released him later that year and he finished the 2022 season with the Rams. The Bucs gave him another chance by signing him in 2023 and he has made the most of the opportunity, reviving his career.

“Both of them have overcome a lot,” Campbell said.

Rachaad’s role

Rachaad White went from being Tampa Bay’s primary back to splitting time with Bucky Irving last season. With Irving out the past two games, White has 157 scrimmage yards and three rushing touchdowns.

“Rachaad made some really, really good plays,” Mayfield said.

Return of the mack

Detroit defensive tackle Alim McNeill, who signed a $97 million contract extension a year ago, is expected to play for the first time since tearing the ACL in his right knee late last season.

“It’s going to be a big day, a big deal, in the back of my head,” he said.

Sack attack

The Buccaneers had 10 sacks in the first five games before registering six against Mac Jones in a win over the 49ers last week. They recorded a sack on 15.4% of dropbacks. Even more impressive, Tampa Bay didn’t have to blitz much to get pressure.

“It all starts up front for us,” Bucs coach Todd Bowles said. “If we can get off the ball and you don’t have to blitz and you can go with four (rushers) and they work together, we’re a pretty good defense.”

Linebacker Yaya Diaby had two sacks on Jones and leads the team with three. Veteran linebacker Lavonte David and nose tackle Vita Vea each have 2 1/2. Vea had five quarterback pressures while facing double-teams on 69.7% of dropbacks.

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